A synonym for "nerd" used to be "bookworm," but it's lost in today's broadband ADHD society. We still read, though. Voraciously. Here we present a collection of books, new and old, that we've enjoyed over the course of this year.

The Dark Pasts of Our Geekiest Treasures

There's that old expression about those who forget their history being doomed to repeat it. So it's good that there are so many chroniclers of the great achievements in tech, and in geek culture. [History Books]

Back to the Drawing Board

Why are we so enamored with certain images or objects? Though an explanation on the inner workings of the soul is always just out of reach, there are books that help us understand our art and design fetishes, what informs our gear lust as well as our definition of beauty. [Art & Design Books]

Tales of Science and Technology, Told With Feeling

Science is about a passionate, single-minded pursuit of an uncertain goal, but you wouldn't know it from reading most news coverage of great discoveries. Each year, though, a few brilliant writers dip into the details, and string together a story that is as beautiful as it is mind-blowing. [Science & Tech Lit Books]

What's Cookin', Good Lookin'?

We certainly try to hone our culinary skills on occasion, so it's a given that we've been reading up on tasty treats and crazy concoctions. Naturally we've got some cookbooks that we can't stop raving about, but since we're dedicated nerds about food, there's a lot more going on here, too. [Food & Cooking Books]

Doing It For Ourselves

Maybe we're not quite as prone to making nearly everything ourselves like our counterparts at Lifehacker, but we certainly love to tinker and enjoy DIY projects. Albeit it's the ones that could cause major damage which we seem to go particularly crazy for, but I promise that there are innocent projects lurking in these books, too. [DIY Books]

The Art of Escape: Our Favorite Fiction

Even the craziest DIYer, chef, historian, gadget lover or designer needs a break at some point. Here are the departures from reality that kept us sane, especially after long, busy weeks of telling the truth. [Novels and Other Fiction]